Los Angeles history

Killing revisited

I covered the Nicholson trial as a reporter
for the all news radio station in Riverside, KACE. (No longer
there).

I was allowed by presiding Superior Court
Judge John Gabbert to record and air the entire proceedings of the
trial.

It was the first time ever that such
proceedings were broadcast. (Long before O.J.)

I was also first to break the story of the
Heidi Nicholson's murder.

I was in the office of the head of the
Uniform Division of the Riverside County Sheriff's Office when the call came in
regarding the murder.

Robert Pressley (later a State Senator)
the sheriff in charge, allowed me to accompany him to the scene of the
crime.

From that point forward I reported the
investigation and proceedings of the case from start to finish.

It is my understanding that Felicitas
Nicholson was eventually released and moved to San Bernardino where she
committed suicide.

I do not have the tapes since they were the property of Ray Lapica's (former UPI
rewrite man) radio station K-ACE when it was on the air in Riverside.

He
eventually sold the station and earned a law degree at USC. Last I read,the call
letters belonged to a Jazz station in Santa Monica :-(

Side bar. Judge John Gabbert
(as I understand it) is the son of the founder of The Riverside Press Enterprise
newspaper. It was his contention that more people should be made aware of
court proceedings other than the 40 or so who could crowd into his
courtroom.

Therefore, he agreed to allow me to place my mic next to his at the
witness stand. (Yes. He recorded his own trials). The recording equipment was
placed out of sight in his adjoining chambers.

At that time, I believe, allowing
the broadcast was a violation of Judicial Canon 13(Whatever that was). None of
the privileged exchanges at the bench were broadcast but everything else was
fair game.

Judge Gabbert may have received "a slap on the wrist" for his
courageous, pioneering stance but no other penalties.